


After the Siege

by Bluewolf458



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Gen, Sentinel Thursday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2017-12-29
Packaged: 2019-02-23 12:20:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13189962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluewolf458/pseuds/Bluewolf458
Summary: Jim and Blair after the events of Siege





	After the Siege

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Sentinel Thursday prompt 'drop'

After the Siege

by Bluewolf

"Where can I drop you off, Chief?" Jim took his attention from the road for a split second to glance at the young man in the passenger seat.

"Oh - anywhere I can catch a bus that goes anywhere near Rainier," his passenger answered. In actual fact, Blair would have preferred to be taken straight to Rainier, but years of travelling with his mother had taught him to ask for whatever would inconvenience others the least. Naomi had never learned that little piece of consideration, or that asking for less might gain her more.

"I can take you to Rainier," Jim said. "It's not that far out of my way."

"But it is out of your way," Blair said. "You must want to get home. It's been a pretty stressful day for you."

"More stressful for you," Jim said. "At least I was out of the building when Kincaid's men took over - I didn't spend half the afternoon dodging them."

"No, you just ended up hanging from the skid of a helicopter with someone hanging onto your legs!"

Jim was silent for a moment before saying, "Are you sure you want to go to Rainier? Wouldn't you rather go straight home?"

"Well... yes, but I've got some grading I really need to get done. It won't take me long - it was a multiple choice quiz I gave my anthro 101 class - but I really need to get it done today."

"Why didn't you tell me that when I suggested you go in to get your credentials today?"

"Well, that wasn't supposed to take long - I didn't expect to lose half the day dodging some idiots who decided they could take over a police station, then a bit longer than necessary telling your IA guys - three times over - what happened."

Jim was silent for a moment. Then - "Okay. I'll come in with you, wait till you've finished, them take you home."

"You... you don't need to do that."

There was a note in Blair's voice that worried Jim. "Well, how are you going to get home? You said your car's in the shop."

"There are buses."

"Chief. After the day you've had, I am _not_ going to leave you to get a bus - if they're still running by the time you've finished your grading. But if the questions were multiple choice, I can do some of them for you - all you need to do is give me a list of the answers."

Blair looked at him for a moment. "Thanks, Jim. I have to admit I'll be glad to have things speeded up a bit; I am a bit tired."

***

Between them, they finished the grading in little more than an hour.

"Thanks, Jim - that was a massive help."

"Now - home."

They went back to Jim's truck and he started down the road. "Where to, Darwin?"

"Dock Street."

Jim frowned. "Isn't that area all empty warehouses?"

"Mostly. I've rented one short-term - hope to get another proper apartment in two or three weeks. Parts of the warehouse area are pretty rough, but Dock Street is safe enough."

Jim didn't look convinced.

"Well, look at it this way - yes, my car's in the shop - but that's a mechanical fault. I've been living in that warehouse for a little more than a month, the car's been parked outside it every night, and nobody has tried to vandalize it. I'd say that's pretty definitive, wouldn't you?"

Jim still didn't look convinced.

He turned into Dock Street, and stopped when Blair said, "Here."

The student got out, muttering, "Thanks, man, see you tomorrow afternoon," and headed for the door.

Jim watched him going in, then shrugged mentally, and drove on, taking the first turning that would let him leave the now-derelict area that had once been a busy part of Cascade. But many of the big businesses had moved away some thirty to forty years previously - Jim had never quite known why. He wasn't happy about leaving his new acquaintance there, but if Sandburg thought it was safe enough... and he wasn't the kid's father...

Jim headed for Prospect Avenue. He would be glad to get to bed. He just hoped that Sandburg, in his warehouse, had a warm bed too.

 

 


End file.
